The Alignment of the Planets
by EosAphrodite
Summary: Catherine returns, but to CSI and to Gil?
1. The Fight

Disclaimers: I don't own these character, I think we are all aware of who does.  
  
AN: I do not hate Sara, exactly, she grates on my nerves, but I don't hate her. However, I have been waiting since the second ep of season 1 for Cath to smack her, so I wrote my own fic. Please r/r and let me know if I should continue or just trash it. Rated PG-13 for language. And a HUGE thank-you to my partner in crime, Angie. She helped me a lot and encouraged me to continue despite my nerves. And to #1, you're help was invaluable as well as your encouragement. Thank you!!!  
  
AN 2: Yes, I know I posted this before, but I updated some things. Hopefully made it better. Happy reading. Please review. I live on them.  
  
Catherine came into work that night with a spring in her step. Her life had been going smoothly lately. Eddie had been civil to her; his support checks were on time. Her relationship with Gil was stronger than ever, thanks to some well-deserved time together, just the two of them. Even work had been going well, as much as her line of work could have. All their cases had been solved and she thought tonight was going to be uneventful; she was wrong. It was as if the planets had aligned themselves, spelling impending doom and what Catherine didn't know was that halfway through her shift all hell was going to break loose.  
  
She was sitting at the break room table; eating a leftover turkey club, hold the bacon, thank you, when Sara walked in.  
  
"Hey, Sara," Catherine mumbled around a mouth full of food. She watched Sara walk over to the coffee pot, completely ignoring Cath sitting there. 'Boy is she in a mood,' Catherine thought, keeping her face neutral. Sara got under her skin like no one ever had before.  
  
"How is your night going?" She was trying to be civil, but with Sara, it was sometimes impossible. She watched as Sara sat across the table from her.  
  
"As if you don't know," Sara snapped, setting her coffee mug down with a thump, it's contents sloshing over the rim.  
  
Catherine set her sandwich back in its container and wiped her hands with a napkin, her movements precise, careful. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, her body language loose and open, but her eyes narrowed, alert and watchful. She knew this moment was bound to come sooner or later. She'd known it since Sara walked through the Las Vegas Criminalistics Bureau doors. She had pushed her way into their close-knit group, swaggering, a chip on her shoulder bigger than the Hope diamond. She was intent on nailing Warrick's ass to the wall over gambling; admittedly a difficult job. But her attitude was.well it was arrogant and rude, to put it simply. They had immediately reacted to it. In an effort to protect themselves and Warrick, they had circled the wagons and it had taken time for Sara to break through their defenses. She never really had with Catherine. She had been specifically requested by Gil Grissom himself; a fact that she made no attempt to hide, but rather flaunted it, as if it proved her superiority as a CSI. Catherine knew right away that Sara's feelings for Gil were definitely not those of a colleague or friend.  
  
She looked at Sara for a moment. "I'm sure I don't." Her voice was cool, tempered steel. "Why don't you clue me in?"  
  
"You, you're the problem," Sara hissed.  
  
"Excuse me? Just what have I done this time, Sara? How have I upset your fragile sensibilities?" Catherine shot back. Catherine felt her good mood evaporating like the mist at dawn; she was not going to put up with Sara's insecurities.  
  
"I'm tired of this shit! I'm tired of the entire world revolving around you. You and your precious child. The single-parent card obviously works well for you, you use it often enough. Don't you think anyone else might have a life?" Sara yelled, standing up suddenly, her chair skidding across the floor.  
  
"You have a problem with me, Sara, fine. Don't you dare bring my daughter into this." Catherine stood, walking around the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Warrick, Nick and Greg milling around the door.  
  
"Greg, go get Gris quick," Nick whispered to Greg. Greg took off.  
  
"Why not? You do! I was called in on my night off, because you couldn't leave your beloved child. Tell me, Catherine, you seem to have Gil's ear, did you have his child too? Is that what you told him?" She paused a moment then continued in a saccharine-sweet voice. "Or is she someone else's entirely? I've heard all about the sex lives of strippers." Sara was furious now, her eyes focused on Catherine's and she didn't notice Nick and Warrick standing in the doorway.  
  
Catherine stood there in shock, unable to believe what Sara had just said. Deciding it wasn't worth it, she turned to leave, but Sara's voice stopped her cold.  
  
"What's the matter, Catherine? Can't handle the truth?"  
  
Catherine turned on her heel and strode over to Sara, her body shaking with anger. "What the hell did you say?"  
  
"Ladies," Warrick began, walking into the room. This needed to stop, before it went any further, but he personally thought Sara needed to get her ass kicked for her comments.  
  
"Did I stutter? Should I say it slower and maybe use smaller words?"  
  
"You self-righteous bitch! You have no idea what you're talking about," Catherine shouted. Her palms itched to slap Sara, but she held on to her self-control by a thread. She shook off Warrick's restraining hand and said quietly. "It's alright War, I can handle her."  
  
"Sara, shut the hell up," Warrick said, turning to her. "You're out of line."  
  
Somewhere in Sara's mind, she realized she was overstepping the boundaries, but she was too incensed to give a damn. "Exactly how did you go from a glorified whore to a CSI? Did you fuck him to get this job? Is that how you got it? You seem to get what you want by fucking him now."  
  
Gil and Greg stepped into the room in time to hear Sara's last comments. The room was silent for a few seconds, everyone motionless in shock. Then Catherine spoke, her voice icy calm.  
  
"You know, Sara, I always knew you wanted Gil for yourself. Is that what rankles you? That's it's my bed he's in and my name he calls out?" Catherine smirked at her.  
  
Without warning, Sara's palm shot out and connected with the older woman's cheek, the sound ringing through the lounge. Catherine's head snapped to the side, her cheek stinging from the slap.  
  
At the same time, the four men in the room sprang into action, but were unable to stop Catherine from pulling back her arm and swinging forward with her shoulder, maximizing impact, as her fist connected solidly with Sara's left eye. Catherine watched in satisfaction as Sara stumbled backwards, tripping over the chair she had been sitting in minutes before and landing with a thud on her ass.  
  
"You bitch!" Sara screamed, scrambling to her feet and lunging for Catherine.  
  
Nick grabbed her arm, pinning it behind her back, effectively stopping her. Meanwhile Warrick wrapped one long arm around Catherine's waist, pulling her back to him.  
  
"Cath, let it go," he whispered in her ear.  
  
Gil stepped in between them, looking at Sara. "Sara, you have 30 seconds to get your ass in my office or you're fired!" His voice was calm, but everyone could hear the fury in it. He turned to Catherine. "Go outside and cool off, I'll see to you after I'm finished with Sara." Sara and Catherine just stood there, breathing hard and straining against the arms that held them apart. "Now!" he thundered.  
  
Sara shook off Nick and stalked toward the door. Catherine's voice stopped her just before she left.  
  
"You know, Sara, he never saw you. Never. You were his student, nothing more. Give your head a shake, Sidle."  
  
Gil whirled to Catherine. "Catherine! That is enough!" They glared at each other for a moment, Catherine raising one eyebrow in defiance.  
  
"Come on, Cath," Warrick said, releasing her.  
  
Catherine nodded, straightened her jacket with a jerk and walked out before him, shaking her right fist. She'd hit Sara hard and her fist was aching. The heels of her black boots clicked angrily on the tile floor as she strode to the glass doors, throwing them open and walking outside. Warrick directed her to the bay at the back of the parking lot.  
  
"You okay," he asked her. He was surprised Catherine held out as long as she did. He hadn't heard the entire argument, but he had heard enough to know that Sara had deserved what she'd gotten. He smiled wryly at her. "I see you remembered what I told you about the follow-through."  
  
Catherine paced back and forth, her heels clicking on the pavement and her hair swinging around her shoulders. She stopped suddenly in front of Warrick. She allowed herself a quick smile. "Yeah, but you never said it would hurt so much." She took a deep breath and asked, "Is that what everyone thinks? That Gil's and my.relationship.that he's giving me preferential treatment?" She muttered her thanks to Nick when he walked up to her, holding out a bag of ice. She winced she applied the cold bag to her sensitive knuckles.  
  
"I don't think anyone thinks that, Cath," Nick assured her. "You are a smart woman, you didn't get that from sleeping your way to the top. Sara gets emotional. Talks before she thinks."  
  
"And completely out of line," Warrick added. He'd always had a connection to Catherine, probably because they were both former addicts. Regardless, he was tempted to hit Sara himself, only holding back because of his grandmother's stern words that a 'real man never hits a woman.'  
  
Catherine smiled her thanks at them, wincing as the action caused pain to radiate over her face where Sara had slapped her. She stood with Nick and Warrick, waiting for Gil to finish with Sara so he could talk to her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gil was furious, pacing his office while Sara sat stonily in a chair across from his desk. Right now, he'd give anything not to be a supervisor. Suspending people was never easy, especially when it was over something like this. He stopped pacing, took a deep breath and looked at Sara.  
  
"Mind telling me what happened in there?"  
  
Sara sat there, silent. In all honesty, she didn't know what to say to the man now standing in front of her. So she decided that silence was the best option. Not too mention that her left eye throbbed where Cath had hit her. Sara had to admit that Catherine packed a mean right hook.  
  
"You realize that I'm going to have to suspend you. The employee handbook is very clear on that point. Both you and Catherine will be on a mandatory 3-day suspension. With official letters of reprimands in your employee files." He looked at her sternly. "Do you have anything to say? Any reason I shouldn't fire you here and now?"  
  
"I don't have anything to say," Sara finally spoke, her voice biting.  
  
"Yes, you do, or I wouldn't have asked," Gil retorted.  
  
"I told her what I thought." Sara shrugged her shoulders.  
  
Gil was at the end of his patience. "I heard what you said, Sara. Enough of it anyway. Regardless of my.personal relationship with Catherine, your comments were." he trailed off. "Vulgar and completely undeserved. But I didn't hear the entire conversation. Maybe I'm wrong. You tell me."  
  
"She deserved it."  
  
Gil leaned until his face was inches from hers. "For your sake I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," he hissed. "No one deserves what you said." He leaned back, took a deep breath and continued. "You're suspended as of right now. Give me your badge and gun."  
  
Sara stood and tossed her badge at him, and then set her gun on his desk with a loud thunk. She turned to leave, but Gil's voice stopped her.  
  
"You're a good CSI, Sara. I'd hate to lose you over this. You need to think about whether you want to continue to work here. I won't have my team falling apart due to personal feelings getting in the way."  
  
"I just want to know one thing Grissom." At his raised eyebrow, she continued, "Are you going to tell her the same thing? Or was that speech just for me?"  
  
"Get out Sara. I don't want to see you around here for the next 3 days." He watched as she slammed out his door and sighed, his shoulders sagging. He hated the thought of losing Sara, she was a good CSI and he was not looking forward to facing Catherine.  
  
He found her outside with both Warrick and Nick, no longer pacing but still visibly upset. She spotted him and met him halfway.  
  
"Well?" she asked without preamble.  
  
"You want to go back to my office? Or do you want me to tell you here." He was upset for her, and at her, and had a hard time meeting her eyes. He really wanted to know what the hell had happened in that lounge before he came in.  
  
"Let me guess, I get a 3-day unpaid vacation and a letter of reprimand." She shrugged her shoulders and removed her gun from its holster at her waist, handing it to him butt first. She followed with her badge. She lifted his chin with one finger, forcing him to look at her. "I'm sorry I put you in this situation, Gil, I really am. But I'm not sorry for hitting her. I'll never be sorry for that." She walked past him and into the building.  
  
Gil stood there and watched her walk away. He'd never hated being a supervisor more than he did at this moment. He turned to his remaining CSI's. "Anyone want to tell me what the hell happened in there?"  
  
Nick and Warrick looked at each other for a moment, neither one of them wanting to say anything.  
  
"What did Sara tell you?" Nick finally spoke.  
  
"Nothing. Except that Catherine deserved it." Gil spat the words out.  
  
This pushed Warrick over the limit. "That's bullshit! Sara was out of control!"  
  
Gil turned to Warrick, pinning him with a stare. "What did she say?"  
  
Warrick shook his head. "I won't even repeat it. Look, talk to Cath, Gris. But I'm not saying anything. I've got work to do." He left him standing there with Nick.  
  
Nick turned to Gil. "I'm with Warrick on this Grissom. Talk to Cath." He too walked into the building, leaving Gil alone, his head tilted to the sky, wondering if the gods were conspiring against him or that the planets had aligned, making his night one from hell.  
  
  
  
Tbc. 


	2. The Exodus

Disclaimers: In Ch 1  
  
AN: This fic, again is to the group. You know you are and you know where this is going and what it is REALLY about. Anyone else doesn't matter. This is a work of fiction. The characters will not remain true to what the wonderful writers at CSI have written for them. But, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. If you didn't like Ch 1, just don't read any further. I don't need you to read it or review it.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gil stood on the front porch of Catherine's house, enjoying the sound of the early morning birds in the trees and the relative quiet of the street. Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and quietly walked in.  
  
Catherine was at the sink, doing dishes leftover from her mad dash to work the night before.  
  
"Where's Linds?" he asked looking around.  
  
"It was late so I left her with Maxine." She finished putting dishes in the washer and closed the door. She dried her hands and turned towards him, bracing herself against the counter.  
  
"Are you okay?" Gil asked, setting his keys down on the small table by the door. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it in the closet, and then walked over to her.  
  
"I'm fine. You did what you had to do, Gil. I just wish." she trailed off.  
  
"What? That it hadn't gotten to that point?" He looked pointedly at her. "You could have walked away, you should have walked away."  
  
"You weren't there, you don't know," Catherine shot back. She did not want to talk about this. She couldn't, not now, maybe not ever.  
  
"That's the point. I don't know. I want you to tell me." Gil's irritation was rising.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it. It's over. It doesn't concern you anyway." She wouldn't meet his eyes.  
  
"God damn it, Catherine. Talk to me! And this does too concern me." Gil shouted, incensed.  
  
"Don't you dare shout at me, Gil Grissom!" Catherine shot back, her face red, but the area where Sara had slapped her was a purple-blue color. "I told you I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Then what do you want?" His voice softened, as he took in the bruise visible on her face. He reached for her, only to have her shrink back. He sighed as he pulled his arm back. "Do you want me to leave?" He was afraid of her answer.  
  
Catherine's eyes darted to his, then away. "I think for right now, it would be for the best."  
  
He gazed at her for another moment, then turned, grabbed his jacket from the closet and slipped it back on. He walked over to the table to get his keys.  
  
"No! Wait!" she cried, the tears making their way slowly down her cheeks. "I don't want you to leave."  
  
Three strides and she was in his arms, her face buried in his neck, her tears wetting his skin. He held her to him, stroking her hair, and then led her to the couch. He settled her on the couch and sat next to her.  
  
"Cath, what happened?"  
  
"Gil, I really don't want to talk about it. Can we just sit here? I'm going to be on a day schedule for the next few days, and we won't get to spend anytime together. Please?"  
  
Gil sighed. He could see the hurt in her deep blue eyes, but knew he wasn't going to get any information out of her right now. He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll drop it for now. But, Catherine, at some point I want you to tell me what went on last night."  
  
"Alright," she said, thankful that he agreed to drop it, and snuggled into his chest, wrapping on arm around him. She didn't want him to know just how much Sara's words had hurt her, had made her doubt herself and the wisdom of having a personal relationship with Gil. She loved him with every fiber of her being and she didn't want to let him go, but yet she was fearful of the repercussions if someone tried to a make an issue of it.  
  
They sat that way for a few minutes, each enjoying the presence of the other and not needing to fill the silence with words. After she heard him yawn for the third time, she suggested that they go to bed; he still had to work that night. Catherine stood and offered him her hand, leading him to the bedroom. She crawled into bed while he took a shower, she hadn't slept at all after coming home, and she knew she wouldn't be sleeping now. What she wanted was to be held, and Gil did that better than anyone she knew.  
  
"Hey," came his soft voice a few minutes later. "You're on my side of the bed." He watched her sit up and saw the bruise on the left side of her face. Sitting on the bed, he gently took her chin in his hand and tilted her head to the side. He gasped when he saw the vivid purple bruise on her left cheek. He traced his finger over the spot gently, and she flinched in pain.  
  
"Yes, it does hurt and I don't want to lay on that side," she said, reading the question in his eyes. "Don't worry. I've had worse."  
  
"You shouldn't have had this one." He knew Catherine could get bitchy at times and mouth off, but he had trouble believing that what she said had deserved a slap like that. From the few words he'd heard, Sara was out of control; apparently Warrick and Nick had thought so too. As Catherine's supervisor, he'd had to be harsh on her, but as her lover, he wanted to protect her. He kissed her softly and was surprised when she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss, her arms wrapping around him. He returned her kiss, pulling her closer to him. After a minute he pulled away slightly, kissing her nose and then her forehead.  
  
"I love you, Catherine," he breathed. He lay down and pulled her onto his chest, holding her tightly, knowing that was what she wanted and needed most. Catherine snuggled closer to him and listened to him breath, Sara's words reverberating in her head. She was tired of fighting those people who assumed because she stripped for a living that she must have also slept around. Nothing could have been further from the truth. She had never and would never 'step out' on the man she was with. She'd had ample opportunities during her marriage, but refused them all. She had been tempted of course, she was human, but she just wasn't 'that' type of woman. What was fine for others wasn't fine with her. They could do as they pleased, she certainly wasn't going to judge them, but she was the one who had to face herself in the mirror, not them. Her conscious was clear on that.  
  
But was that what people really thought of her. That she was a 'glorified whore turned CSI'? She'd never allowed herself to think that, but now she was plagued by self-doubts. Catherine listened as Gil's breathing evened out in sleep. She waited a few more moments until she was sure he was sleeping and eased out of bed. She knew she wasn't going to sleep and she couldn't lie there any longer. Soon she would start fidgeting and wake up Gil; he needed his sleep.  
  
She walked through the house, not finding anything to distract her. She had too much nervous energy for the television and she'd cleaned everything after she'd gotten home. Feeling trapped and on edge, she decided on a run. Running always cleared her mind, helped her focus on what was important. She tiptoed back into her room, grabbed her running gear and went to the main bathroom to dress.  
  
She let herself out of the house quietly and began warm up stretches in the driveway. Ten minutes later she was off to a slow jog, continuing her warm up for about a mile before she broke out into a fast run. Not thinking about where she was going, she ran down the streets heading out of her neighborhood and onto a main street that headed into the heart of Las Vegas. Soon her breathing became labored, but she didn't slow her pace. Catherine felt like the Hounds of Hell were close on her heels and she couldn't run fast enough. The edgy, trapped feeling was worse, if possible. An hour into her run, she stumbled to a stop at a crosswalk, her chest heaving for air, legs feeling like jello. Clinging to sign post, she looked around; she was at the edge of the strip. 'Shit!' She thought. 'I've just run 6 miles.' She stood there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, knowing she was going to have to go 6 miles back. After her breathing calmed a bit, she began the trek home, cursing herself for her inattention. The mid-morning air was hot and Catherine was parched by the time she was halfway home and she half trotted, half walked the rest of the way. Jogging up her driveway, she put the key in the lock and leaned against it, trying to focus; her vision blurry. Suddenly the door opened and she fell into Gil's arms.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?" Gil exclaimed as he helped her inside. "Damn! You're burning up!"  
  
"Running," she gasped out. She started to sway in his arms. Gil quickly helped her onto the floor and pushed her head between her knees.  
  
"Breath deeply. That's it. Through your nose." He rubbed her back and after a few moments she lifted her head. "Better?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, I need some water," Cath managed and struggled to her feet. Her legs were shaky and Gil all but carried her to the couch.  
  
"Stay here, I'll get it." He was back with a glass of water before her mind even registered that he was gone. "It's tap water, not too cold." She accepted it with shaking hands. "Drink slow." He waited until she had drunk some, and then took a deep breath to calm himself. "What were you thinking, Cath? It's hot out there. You didn't take anything with you. Did you have some water before you started?"  
  
Catherine swallowed some water before answering. "No. I didn't. I didn't think I was going that far." She looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Before I knew it I was at the Strip and had to come all of the way back."  
  
"The Strip?" Gil was incredulous. "Shit, Cath! That's like 12 miles or more."  
  
Catherine smiled at his use of the word 'like'. Lindsey was rubbing off on him. "Tell me about it. I feel everyone of those twelve miles right now." She pushed herself off the couch and onto the floor. "And if I don't stretch out, I'll never be able to move."  
  
Gil watched as she stretched her body out, part of his brain appreciating the long, lean line of her body. She was trying her damndest to pretend that she was okay, but he wasn't fooled. He could see the tension and fatigue around her eyes and the shakiness of her limbs. She needed food and rest. He knew Catherine like the back of his hand. Last night had really upset her and when she was upset, she didn't eat. While she was stretching, he went into the kitchen and popped a bagel in the toaster. He put some grapes on a plate waited on the bagel to be done. 'Red grapes for Cath and green for Lindsey,' he thought to himself. Sometimes, when he thought about it, it amazed him how quickly he learned their routine, assimilating himself into theirs and in turn, they into his. He'd kept his townhouse, but he was rarely ever there. Most of his things were here; even some of his mail had been routed to her house. He snatched the bagel as it popped up and put it on the plate with the grapes.  
  
He carried the plate back to her and set it on the coffee table. "You need to eat. And then get some sleep."  
  
Catherine nibbled at her bagel, her stomach not really wanting food, but she knew she had to eat. She'd really overdone it this morning and was going to be sore later. "How come you're up?"  
  
Gil sat next her and started rubbing her legs, still seeing the slight trembling. "I woke up and you weren't there. I wanted to see if you were okay." He looked at her; slightly irritated at the way she quickly glanced at him, and then back to her plate. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he forced her to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Gil, really," Catherine lied with ease. She hated to lie to him, but she knew if she didn't convince him, he would push the issue and she didn't want him to know exactly what had been said between Sara and her. It would only cause more problems, and he had enough to deal with. So she lied her 'little tail off' as her mother used to say. "I'm just tired. I'll eat this, take a hot bath and go to bed." She leaned over and kissed him quickly, but her lie was bothering her. She did have a conscious and it was in overdrive at the moment. She ate a bit more, drained her glass of water, and stood. "I'm going to take a hot bath." She extended her hand to him, helping him off the floor. "You want to join me?"  
  
"Are you sure? You just got back from running 12 miles, Cath. Maybe you should sleep," he suggested, brushing some hair from her face.  
  
"I'm fine. Besides I need to stretch my muscles." She grinned at him, running her hand down his bare chest, her fingers playing with the waistband of his boxers. "Can you think of a more fun way? Because if you can, I'm all ears."  
  
"Not from where I'm standing," he retorted, smiling at her. "If you're sure, I suppose I could fit it into my busy schedule. But I'm not cleaning up the floor. I did it last time."  
  
"Well if you hadn't filled the tub to the brim, it wouldn't have been that bad. I had two loads of towels to wash after that incident," Catherine laughed, remembering how the water had even gotten the bedroom carpet wet.  
  
"In my defense," Gil spouted, trying to remove her running shirt as they walked. "If you hadn't been distracting me, I wouldn't have forgotten about it."  
  
"Me?" She asked with a snort. "I seem to remember it was you who couldn't keep your hands or your mouth to yourself." Catherine remembered well his caressing hands and his mouth on her breasts. She had never known that Gil was a breast man, but now she took any opportunity she could to tease him about 'his girls'. It had become a running joke between them.  
  
Gil just shrugged his shoulders and gave her a look that said he couldn't help himself. Catherine rolled her eyes at him and went into the bathroom, starting the water and lining the floor with towels. She wasn't going to spend two hours mopping up water.  
  
"You know if you just had a bigger shower, this wouldn't be necessary," Gil complained, gesturing to the towels.  
  
Catherine straightened and pointed to the tub. "I know, but the tub is worth it." Her shower was small, barely big enough for her to shower in, impossible for two people.  
  
"It is nice," Gil admitted, looking over her shoulder, his hands sliding under her sports bra. He kissed her neck, her skin tasting salty from her run. He moved his mouth to her ear, tracing the rim with his tongue. He knew that her ear was 'the spot' for her, and she confirmed it by groaning and digging her nails in to his forearms. "So, how are my girls today?" He whispered, feeling her nipples harden from his caress.  
  
"How do they feel?" she sighed as he continued his slow sensual assault on her ear. She could feel the desire coursing through her, pooling between her legs. What this man could do to her. She turned and lifted her mouth to his, her tongue sliding between his teeth to meet with his.  
  
Gil pulled back long enough to pull off her bra, tossing it out of the way. He pulled her close to him, enjoying the feel of her breasts pressed against his bare chest. "Hey, Cath. You gonna turn off the water?"  
  
"Oh yeah." She quickly turned around and shut the water off. "See what you made me do?" She accused, noting the almost full tub.  
  
"I'll make it up to you. I promise." Gil ran his hands down her waist and tugged at her running shorts.  
  
"You better." Catherine's breath caught in her throat as Gil's lips moved over her navel and lower, his hands pulling her shorts down her legs and tossing them away. Running his hands up her legs, he nudged her thighs apart, his tongue darting out and tasting her, testing her readiness. He wound one arm around her hips, holding her closer to him. Catherine's head fell back and she moaned, "God, Gil." His mouth was doing amazing things to her. She never lasted long this way. He knew exactly where to touch her, with his fingers and tongue; he always had. Her knees felt weak; the only thing holding her up was Gil's arm. Her muscles tensed and she screamed as her orgasm hit her, her vision fading to black, and then slowly returning.  
  
"Damn," she gasped out, her chest heaving for air.  
  
"I told you I'd make it up to you," he quipped, standing next to her. "Come here." He quickly shed his boxers and stepped into the tub, settling against the slanted back. He watched as she climbed in and straddled his hips.  
  
Meeting his gaze, she quirked an eyebrow at him as she positioned herself over him, her eyes sliding shut as she took his length into her.  
  
"Do you know how much I love you?"  
  
Catherine's eyes flew open at his words and the guilt returned. She'd lied to him, but more than that, she was holding part of herself back. Something she swore she'd never do. Part of her wanted to tell him everything, but she felt she had to protect him. She nodded and leaned closer, whispering in his ear, "Show me."  
  
And he did.  
  
Catherine lay in Gil's arms while he slept. She looked at the clock, 3:15. Jane, Lindsey's best friend's mother would be dropping Lindsey off in another hour. Lindsey had choir after school today, and Catherine was grateful for the reprieve. Catherine's body needed sleep, but her mind refused to let her. She felt broken, shattered and nothing could make her whole again. She knew what she needed to do, what she felt she had to do, but she was so afraid. She would hurt Gil, she knew that and she could barely stand the thought of it. The tears slid down her cheeks and she quietly got out of bed. She walked to Lindsey's bathroom, locked the door and slid down the wall. Grabbing a towel and pressing it to her mouth, she broke into the sobs that she'd managed to hold back all day.  
  
Somehow Catherine managed to get through the rest of the evening. Lindsey came home, full of tales from school. There was homework to help with and dinner to make. She pretended to be her normal self, but she really doubted she was fooling Gil or even Lindsey. Several times, she'd catch Gil watching her, a puzzled frown on his face, as if trying to piece together the puzzle of her emotions. She smiled at the appropriate times and even managed a laugh, but it was hollow. She just wanted this evening to be over, for the first time ever, she just wanted it to be time for Gil to leave for work. She hated herself for what she was going to do, but she knew it had to be done. She'd made the phone calls she'd needed to after she'd gotten her crying under control, and everything was in place. It had been surprisingly easy.  
  
What she really wanted to do was to tell him everything. Tell him every word that was exchanged between her and Sara; every doubt and insecurity that she had, and those that had resurfaced. But she wouldn't. She couldn't. Gil was still the supervisor and as long as Sara worked there, she would not tell him anything. It would only put more strain between him and Sara and she didn't want that. He didn't need to hear it and she didn't even know if she could repeat it.  
  
After putting Lindsey to bed, Gil returned to his favorite chair and his crossword while Catherine cleaned up the kitchen. Catherine and Gil had a very active sex life and usually tried to sneak in a 'quickie' before one or both of them headed into work, but Gil didn't seem interested and Catherine sure wasn't. She felt horrible for what she was about to do and for the lie she'd told him. She felt dirty inside and if he made love to her she would transfer that 'dirt' to him.  
  
Catherine found it odd; the entire evening she couldn't wait for Gil to leave, but when he was at the door, kissing her goodbye, she couldn't let go. She clung to him, holding him so tightly her arms hurt.  
  
"Cath, are you sure you're going to be okay?" The concern in his eyes just about killed her. He was the sweetest man, he loved her and no biological father could have loved Lindsey more.  
  
She kissed him fiercely, conveying her love to him with her mouth, something she knew she couldn't put into words at the moment. She could hear the tears in her voice when she assured him that she was just tired and was going to go to bed. After another kiss, he left; she locked the door and she ran to her room, the sobs shaking her body as she curled herself around his pillow and cried. How long she cried, she didn't know, but she woke up promptly at five am, her face puffy, her eyes feeling heavy and the pillow beneath her soaked with tears. She dragged herself from the bed and took a shower, deciding to pack after she was dressed. She'd take Lindsey to her sister's and be back before Gil got home. That was the plan.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Catherine stood in the bedroom as she heard Gil call her name from the living room. "In here," she answered, hoping her nervousness couldn't be heard in her voice. Her bags were packed and in the car, all she had to do was tell Gil. 'Tell Gil,' Catherine thought as she wiped away a stray tear. 'If only it were that easy.' She felt him walk up behind her, his arms going around her waist and she allowed herself the momentary comfort of his arms, before turning to face him. This was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done, but she knew it was for the best. It very well could blow up in her face and she could lose the one man she'd ever truly loved.  
  
"Why the long face?" He asked her frowning slightly. He could see the moisture in her eyes and it scared him.  
  
"Sit down, I need to tell you something," she said softly, leading him to the bed. Gil sat, confusion and fear written on his face. Taking a deep breath for courage, she faced him, the tears already brimming in her eyes.  
  
"Cath, whatever it is, you can tell me." Gil took her hand in his. "It can't be that bad, can it?" Suddenly he wasn't so sure.  
  
"I uh," Catherine cleared her throat and started again. "I asked Mobley for a leave of absence and he granted it." She watched Gil's face as the words sank in. His eyes became shuttered, closed off. Gil hadn't been like that with her in such a long time. It was the face he showed others, people he didn't want close to him; never to her. "I'll be gone, two, maybe three weeks at the most. I need this time Gil. We need this time." Catherine voice ended on a sob as he pulled his hand from hers as if her touch was unbearable to him.  
  
"Why?" His voice was cold, his eyes like ice.  
  
"Because I need to think. I need to figure out what's best for me."  
  
"And suddenly I'm not it?"  
  
"That's not what I'm saying." The tears were falling in earnest now, unheeded down her cheeks. "I need some time to myself. To get away, to.I can't explain it. I just know it's something I have to do." She knelt in front of him, looking up into his eyes, begging him to understand something that she really didn't. "I love you, Gil, of that I'm sure. And I will be back, but we can't keep doing this." Her words tumbled out in a torrent of feeling. "I won't let our relationship ruin your career. Look at what has already happened. People are questioning your loyalties. They're questioning me, and how I got this job and whether or not I deserve it."  
  
"Is this about Sara? What the fuck did she say to you?"  
  
"No! It's not about Sara or what she said. That's not important, they were words spoken in the heat of the moment. What's important, Gil is that if she's saying it, than others are too." She put her hand on his knee, relieved when he didn't push her away. "Gil, if we continue to.to be together like this and work together," she trailed off momentarily. "We have to choose, Gil. We can't continue to work together and be together," she said, emphasizing 'be'. "One of these days we'll have to make a choice. If we don't, then they will." She caressed his cheek with her other hand. "I love you too much to make you decide between me and your job. Or even lose your job because the wrong person questions your motives."  
  
"She really rattled you, didn't she?"  
  
Catherine blew out a frustrated breath. "Dammit, Gil. Yes, ok, she did. But those thoughts were already there; they've always been there. I need to get my head together and I can't do it here. I can't. Please understand that. I'm not leaving you. I just love you too much to make you go through this with me. I need to decide what I'm going to do. What I need to do."  
  
"It feels like you're leaving me, Cath," Gil whispered, tears sliding slowly down his cheeks. "I can't let you go."  
  
The sight of his tears prompted her own to fall again. "God, Baby, please don't cry. One thing I promise you, I will come back. I will. I love you. You know that. I'd do anything for you, but I won't ruin your career, Gil. Don't ask me to." She leaned up and kissed him, her tears mingling with his.  
  
Gil threaded his fingers through her hair and held her to him. The kiss turned forceful and they pulled away, gasping for breath, and he pressed his forehead to hers.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Tahoe, I left all the information on the counter for you. I'll have my cell phone, but, Gil don't come after me. Let me have this time. Please." She stood and placed a kiss to the top of his head. "I love you, don't you ever forget that." She turned and walked away, his voice stopping her at the doorway.  
  
"Cath, I'll leave the light on. just in case you get tired of being gone."  
  
She smiled wanly and walked, shoulders sagging, out of the bedroom. The last glimpse she saw of Gil was his blue eyes glistening with tears, watching her leave. 


	3. The Return?

Disclaimers: In the first chapter  
  
AN: A huge thank-you to Angie, for beta-ing this, as well as Rita.  
  
And to Ann for her insight and my friend Em (who listens to me go on  
  
and on about Cath and Gil and never complains). Again this is  
  
dedicated to the group. I love you guys. Y'all are great. Thank you  
  
so much for standing by me.  
  
  
  
Earlier~~~~~~  
  
"Tahoe, I left all the information on the counter for you. I'll have  
  
my cell phone, but, Gil don't come after me. Let me have this time.  
  
Please." She stood and placed a kiss to the top of his head. "I love  
  
you, don't you ever forget that." She turned and walked away, his  
  
voice stopping her at the doorway.  
  
"Cath, I'll leave the light on. just in case you get tired of being  
  
gone."  
  
She smiled wanly and walked, shoulders sagging, out of the bedroom.  
  
The last glimpse she saw of Gil was his blue eyes glistening with  
  
tears, watching her leave.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Catherine made it one block from her house before the tears in her eyes made driving impossible. She pulled over and let the tears flow; resting her head on the steering wheel. After a few minutes she wiped her eyes and sat there staring out the windshield, torn between what she felt she had to do and what she longed to do. She put the car in drive and slowly started forward; turning the wheel to the left, ready to make the U-turn that would take her back home. She braked again, her red Nissan XTerra blocking the street, took a deep breath and said softly. "Never doubt, never look back." She chuckled ruefully. "Who are you trying to fool?" Making up her mind, she slipped on her sunglasses, straightened her spine and resolutely drove toward Lake Tahoe.  
  
Her friend had told her that she kept the cabin stocked with everything she'd need except for food, so she had stopped at a small grocery store and bought a few things she needed. After unpacking, she took a walk to the dock and sat at the edge, pulling her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. She stared out over the water, letting the motion of the water lull her into a trance. She couldn't have told anyone what she thought about had they asked, or if she even thought anything at all. Before she knew it, the sun had set over the water and she was sitting there in the twilight, shivering. Rising and stretching, Catherine turned back to the cabin. Forgoing food, she took a long hot shower, setting the showerhead to massage and leaned against the wall and letting the water pound over her back, easing tight muscles.  
  
Later, after the hot water ran out, she pulled on a pair of Gil's flannel pajama bottoms, rolling up the legs, cinching the waist and slipped into his old UCLA sweatshirt. She pilferred it months ago, it always wound up in her drawer after laundry and that was Gil's job. She didn't mind washing the clothes, but she hated putting them away. Climbing into bed she automatically settled on 'her' side of the bed. She tried to read, but couldn't concentrate on the printed words. She was tired emotionally and physically, so she turned off the lamp and rolled to her left side. The bed looked and felt so empty and if she concentrated, she could see the outline of Gil next to her, even hear him breathing. She reached a hand to the other pillow, as if to touch his hair, but the vision vanished, leaving her alone. She thought she didn't have any more tears left, that she had cried them all out, but they flowed out of her eyes, wetting the pillow. She continued to stare, willing the vision to come back, to 'feel' his arm around her, 'hear' his whispered words of love, but it never did and eventually her eyes slid shut in sleep.  
  
She spent the first few days in Tahoe not leaving the cabin, except for her daily runs along the path into the woods. She didn't want to see anyone, so she kept to herself, running, sleeping and sitting on the dock watching the water. The only time she went into town was to replenish the food. She ate, slept, and took long runs and even longer walks. And she thought about work and Gil and Lindsey and what she wanted, needed and hoped for. Catherine thought until she couldn't think anymore and then she planned.  
  
She'd been gone a week when the phone call from Brass came. She'd been hoping he would call her with news. And he did. He had friends all over, had pulled some strings and he was faxing her the particulars of the job. She promised to look them over, sign the contract and fax it back to him as soon as she could. She had extracted his promise that he wouldn't say anything to Gil when he worked with him; this was something she had to do on her own. She loved working with him and didn't want to quit, but this job offer was too good to pass up. Right now, the only people who knew of their relationship were their coworkers on the nightshift, but they had only known for a short time and weren't going to say anything. But someone else outside of the small night crew would find out eventually and one of them would be forced to leave. She decided that she would leave first. She felt it really was the only way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It had been 11 days, 11 long nights and even longer days since Catherine left. He'd spoken to Catherine three times in the days that she had been gone. Each phone call had been short, too short in his opinion, consisting mostly of talk about Lindsey. She'd assured him that she was taking care of herself and eating, satisfied herself that he was doing the same, exchanged 'I love yous' and disconnected. Each call had left Gil feeling despondent. He missed her more than he thought was possible. In his professional, he realized just how much insight she brought to each case. In his personal life, he'd never before known just how much he needed her. She made him complete, a whole person, even when he hadn't known there was something in him that was missing.  
  
While Catherine was gone, he'd found out first hand what she went through with raising Lindsey single-handedly. Lindsey was a good child, bright and inquisitive; a total delight, but she wasn't perfect. He knew she was missing her mother and sensed that something wasn't right between them, so he'd tried to be understanding and cut her some slack, but not being that used to kids, he was finding it difficult. The only 'fight' they really had, had started with Lindsey wanting to stay up late on a school night to watch her favorite movie on the Disney channel. He'd said no, and Lindsey kept arguing, refusing to move from her spot on the couch, and he actually yelled at her, surprising both of them. It ended with Lindsey running to her room crying and Gil wanting desperately to run crying to Catherine. After a few minutes of pacing and wondering how in the hell Catherine did this everyday, Gil went in and talked to Lindsey. He held her as she cried for her mother and wanted to know why she would 'go away' if she loved them so much. Gil was hard pressed to find a suitable answer. So he settled for reassuring the little girl that her mother loved her very much and would be home as soon as she could.  
  
Work surprised him. He'd expected things between him and Sara as well as between Nick and Warrick to be strained, but it wasn't. And she'd seemed genuinely surprised and concerned when she found out Catherine had taken a leave of absence. Gil sensed that the younger woman had wanted to talk to her, but he didn't ask, and she didn't offer.  
  
He remembered with painful clarity, the night Sara returned from suspension. They had been in the lounge waiting for report. He'd walked in with assignments and started passing them out when Nick spoke.  
  
"Aren't we going to wait for Catherine? It's not like her to be late."  
  
"Catherine isn't going to be here for awhile," Gil spoke; his voice low and everyone in the room could hear the pain in it. "She is on leave for two," he paused, cleared his throat and continued, "maybe three weeks."  
  
"But she is coming back, right?" Sara's voice was shocked.  
  
Gil looked down at the files in his hands, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes. "I hope so," was all he said. He cleared his throat again and continued with the assignments. "Warrick, Nick you two have the robbery at the Excalibur. Sara, you and I are on the murder-suicide at New York, New York."  
  
If Sara had any doubts about working with him, she never voiced them. She did her job as she always did, showing dedication and precision. Over the next few days, Gil continued to pair her up with one of them, never letting her go solo, until he was sure that there weren't going to be any problems between them. He did notice, however, that her relationship with Nick had changed; at times he'd walked in to find them deep into conversation, and he got the feeling that it wasn't work that they were talking about.  
  
Gil continued as he always had, one piece of evidence after the other. One case after the other, but he had changed. He'd become even quieter, if possible. He never let, or really tried not to let his personal life come to work with him. But now, for the first time, he had personal 'stuff' and he finally understood Catherine's argument from years before.  
  
He knew Catherine was right about the potential problems of their working together while having a relationship, but the knowledge of the facts didn't make it any easier on him. He managed to make it through the long nights when she was gone, immersing himself in work and Lindsey, but the days were the hardest. He slept in fits and starts, never more than a couple hours at a time. And he never turned off the lights. He left them on continuously, knowing he was running up the electricity bill, but not caring. He kept every light in the house on, often turning them after Lindsey had turned them off. He'd replaced every bulb the day she left and had bought enough bulbs to open his own hardware store. He wanted to make sure the lights never went out; he wanted her to know that she was loved and missed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Catherine knocked softly on the door to Gil's office. She was back a few days earlier than she had told him, but she couldn't stay away any longer. She was going to leave first thing tomorrow morning, but by 4 pm, she was pacing the floor of the cabin where she was staying, chewing her fingernails, longing to be home. By 5, her things had been thrown into the back of her SUV and she was one her way to Vegas and hopefully her future.  
  
She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepped in a few feet, and stood quietly waiting for him to look up from the papers he was perusing. Not being able to stand the silence any longer, she spoke.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Gil's head snapped up at the familiar voice. He blinked once, as if trying to decide if she was really there or if he was seeing things.  
  
"Hey yourself," was his reply. They stared at each other before the silence once again became too much for Catherine to bear.  
  
"I'm back," she said, stating the obvious. She noticed the deep lines around his eyes, ones that hadn't been there before and the fatigue in his face and she hated herself, knowing she had put them there.  
  
"I see that," Gil never took his eyes off of hers. She looked incredible in faded jeans and an old flannel button-down shirt. Her hair was done in his favorite style, curly, and hanging loose around her shoulders. It always made him want to bury his hands and face in it, inhaling the fragrance of her shampoo and the scent that was uniquely hers.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
Her words galvanized him and he rose from his chair and walked toward her, brushing past her to the door.  
  
Catherine's breath left her body in a whoosh and she dropped her head, the tears welling in her eyes as she heard the door close. Her worst fear had come true. She'd lost him. She tried to breath, but her lungs wouldn't obey. Feeling a soft brush against her cheek, she jerked her head up to see him standing inches from her.  
  
"I missed you," he whispered softly, so softly she could barely hear him.  
  
She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder as her tears fell. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over, choking on the words.  
  
"Why are you sorry?" Gil whispered in her ear, as he held her tightly to him.  
  
"Because.because I lied to you," she admitted and the tears came faster, making breathing difficult. "I lied to you and.and. I.I.pushed you away." Her voice was rising in near hysteria and she felt like she was going to gag. "I swore I'd never do that. And I hurt you. I hurt you and I'm so sorry. God, Gil, I'm sorry."  
  
"Stop. You're going to make yourself sick."  
  
Catherine responded to the authority in his voice and struggled to stop her tears and catch her breath. She took a small step back, accepted the tissue he handed her and blew her nose.  
  
"It's okay, Cath." Gil turned her face to his, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "I missed you like hell, but I understand. I do. Just please, please don't shut me out again."  
  
Catherine shook her head. "Never again. I love you." She took a huge shuddering breath. "It sounds so.I don't know.not enough."  
  
"It is enough, it's more than enough." Gil told her. "Can I kiss you now?" His smile was tender, full of love and forgiveness.  
  
"Please." Catherine met his lips with hers, the kiss soft, almost hesitant; as if they were rediscovering each other, and the love they shared. He wove his fingers through her hair, holding her to him as Catherine's hands rested on his hips. He slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, which she granted willingly. Their tongues met and the kiss turned passionate and they moaned in unison, reveling in the sensation of tongues sliding against tongues, bodies pressed tightly together, hands roaming and caressing. The desire and passion exploded within them and Gil's fingers went to the collar of her shirt at the same time hers found the button of his black slacks. Clothing was rapidly removed and thrown or kicked out of the way in their haste for each other. Gil walked backwards to his couch, pulling her with him. She reached around him and quickly threw the blanket from the back of the couch down onto the cushions. She smiled at him and playfully shoved him backwards, watching him land with a soft thump. She climbed into his lap and locked eyes with his.  
  
He slid into her slowly, inch by inch until he was fully inside her. They sighed in unison savoring the feel of each other and then began to move. Gil threaded his fingers into her hair, pulling her close to him and whispering sensually into her ear as Catherine bit her lip to stifle her cries of pleasure, her nails digging into his back. Their lovemaking was hot and fast, their separation making it impossible for them to take it slow. He came right after she did, her orgasm triggering his.  
  
Catherine slumped against him, gasping. After a few moments she sat back and looked at him. "I love you and I missed you," she giggled and gestured around his office. "And I can't believe we just did this here."  
  
Gil grinned at her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I'll never look at this couch the same way again," he admitted. "We'll have to keep this in mind for when we have a slow night. Instead of doing paperwork we can do this." His voice was triumphant.  
  
"You are always looking for a way out of paperwork," she accused him.  
  
"This is true," he said unapologetically. "You look better. Do you feel better?"  
  
"Yes, I do." To her frustration, the tears came back. "I needed the time, but I missed you so much. I'm so sorry, Gil. I hurt you and I can't forgive myself for that."  
  
"Cath, there's nothing to forgive. I missed you and I'm glad you're back. And if you do that again, I'll drag you back myself." He smiled at her. "Let's move on. Okay?"  
  
Nodding, she wiped her eyes. "Agreed." She blew out a frustrated breath. "I thought I was done with this crying thing." She leaned forward and kissed him, hard. Deciding he was right, she changed the subject. "So how have things been here?"  
  
"Oh they've been alright. Not too busy, but busy enough. Same old, same old, I guess." He sat back and then popped back up again. "Oh, wait!" He said excitedly. "Ecklie's gone. They have a replacement already lined up. Starts Saturday, I guess."  
  
"Really? What happened? Who is it?" Catherine stood up and searched for her shirt.  
  
"I have no idea. That's the strange part, no one is really saying. Just that it's a 'her' and she's got the reputation of being a real barracuda. For some reason it seems all hush-hush." He got up to put on his boxers. He turned around looking before he spied them over on a shelf, right next to Miss Piggy. Wondering momentarily how they wound up across the room, he shrugged his shoulders and slid them on. He missed the look on Catherine's face.  
  
"A barracuda? Wow. Must be a real hard ass." She sat on the couch, clad in just the shirt she wore in. "Gil, I need to tell you something."  
  
"I guess she is. I don't know. It just strikes me as strange. You know how this place can be with the gossip, especially with new people. Why haven't we heard more."  
  
"Gil, I really need to tell you something," Catherine interrupted him.  
  
".about her?" Gil continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I have to meet this woman on Saturday morning and would like some kind of idea of who she is. I mean I don't even have a name. You have to be there with me, Cath. You're much better with people than I am. We need a united front from the night shift. Man, I bet she's as bad as Ecklie. I was happy to get rid of him, he was a pain in the ass, but I don't think I can deal with a female version of him."  
  
"Gil!" Catherine was getting frustrated. "Come here. I have to tell you something."  
  
He walked over to her, warily, the last time she told him she had to tell him something, she left for days. "What?" He asked, sitting next to her.  
  
Catherine took his hand in hers. "Gil, I've made a decision. About us and my job."  
  
"And that is?" He didn't think he liked the way this was going at all. "I'm leaving the night shift." She smiled at him. "I took another job."  
  
"You did what?" He exclaimed, jumping up off the couch. "Catherine! You tell me this now? Why not when you first walked in? Have you gone completely around the bend?"  
  
Catherine got up and walked over to him, trying to suppress a grin. "No, Gil, I have not 'gone completely around the bend' as you so eloquently put it. Will you just listen please?" Taking a deep breath, she continued, " I swear you have the people skills of a fence-post sometimes. I will be with you Saturday morning, Gil. Trust me. I'm the barracuda."  
  
Gil's mouth dropped open and he stared at her. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said I am the 'barracuda' that people have been talking about. I'm Ecklie's replacement." She reiterated, she gestured to the door.  
  
"You're Ecklie's replacement?" Gil was in shock. "And you didn't discuss this with me?"  
  
"Gil, you know that we were going to have to do this someday. Brass called me with the sad," she broke into a smile, "news of Ecklie's departure and I had first right of refusal." She ran her hand up his chest. "I told you that I wasn't gonna be second banana forever and that I knew I could do his job."  
  
Gil wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "I know you can. And you're right. This is the only way." He grinned at her. "You know what this means?"  
  
Catherine's ecstatic smile made him weak at the knees. "We can go public?"  
  
"Yes. We can. No more sneaking around, no more hiding. I can actually take you out to dinner." He sobered. "I'm gonna miss you like hell. Who's gonna keep me in line? Who's gonna keep me from killing Greg?"  
  
"Yes we can. And I'll still be around keeping an eye on things. And you better not kill Greg, he's the best chemist we have." She leaned up for a kiss, which turned into several.  
  
Gil pulled back slightly as a thought occurred to him. "Do you have it with you? Where is it?"  
  
"It's in my purse. I love you, Gil Grissom."  
  
"I love you too, Catherine Grissom. Now go get your ring." He turned her around and swatted her rear.  
  
Catherine laughed and fetched her wedding ring from her purse. It was a Princess cut solitaire diamond, with a plain gold wedding band. There was nothing fancy about it, but she loved it. It was like their love; an ordinary, everyday kind of love but it was tempered by fire and shone brighter than the sun. She padded in her bare feet over to Gil and handed him her ring set.  
  
He held her left hand in his right and slid the rings onto her finger, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned forward and their lips met and clung. He stepped back and fished in his pocket. He handed her a matching gold band and she slid it onto his finger. They kissed again.  
  
"We are never taking these off again, Gil." Catherine said softly, pulling back.  
  
"We don't have to now." He held her for a moment then suddenly, looked at his watch. "Shit! I'm over an hour late handing out assignments." He spun around and looked for his pants.  
  
Catherine giggled and looked around for her bra. She found it lying haphazardly over the tarantula aquarium. She picked it up, inspecting it for any signs of spider gunk. She knew how he loved his bugs, and for the most part, they didn't bother her, but his spider made her shudder. She decided she would forget the bra until it was washed. She quickly buttoned her shirt, silently thankful that it was loose fitting and spotted her jeans lying over by the couch. She picked them up but didn't see her panties anywhere.  
  
Gil was already dressed and ready to go. "What are you waiting for?" He asked as she stood in the middle of the room, a perplexed look on her face.  
  
"Gil? Where are my panties?" She looked around the room again. "I've got my jeans and my bra was adorning junior's house, but I don't see my underwear."  
  
Gil laughed, he couldn't help it.  
  
She glared at him. "Laugh it up, Bugman. We'll see how funny you think it is when someone, say Greg, comes in here and finds my panties. How are you gonna explain THAT one? I mean do you really want him seeing your wife's underwear?" She put her jeans on, grimacing slightly.  
  
Gil sobered quickly. "Point taken. I'll keep the door locked until I find them." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. "Shall we tell them now?"  
  
"Might as well. Get it over with." She paused and tugged on his hand. "Do I look alright? Hair's not a mess? Lipstick over my face? I don't want to go in there looking like we just had sex. I mean they're gonna suspect, Warrick saw me come in, but I don't want to advertise it."  
  
He studied her for a moment. "No, you look ravishing as always. What about me?"  
  
"Devastatingly sexy. And no lipstick anywhere." She grimaced. "I really hate this loose feeling," she complained, tugging at her jeans. "Ok, let's go."  
  
They walked to the lounge silently, both a little nervous. Gil stopped outside of the lab and shouted to Greg over his radio. "I need you in the lounge, ASAP." They continued on their way.  
  
He opened the door and let her precede him into the lounge.  
  
"Catherine," Warrick said coming over to them, and giving her a hug. "I'm glad you're back. We've missed you."  
  
"Thank you Warrick." She turned to Nick. "Have you been behaving yourself, Nicky?"  
  
"Yes ma'am," he said grinning, enveloping her in his arms. "Glad to have you back."  
  
"It's good to be back," she said and took a step back. She turned and looked at Sara. "Hello, Sara."  
  
"Hey, Cath." Sara felt ill at ease, she knew she needed to talk to Catherine, but wasn't sure how to broach the subject. Catherine beat her to it.  
  
"I know we need to talk. How about in a few minutes?" Catherine asked quietly. Sara nodded and Catherine sighed in relief. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought it might be.  
  
"Ok, everyone, now that Greg is here, why don't you all have a seat. I have something to tell you."  
  
Catherine and Gil remained standing as everyone else sat down. Catherine noted that Nick sat next to Sara and moved his chair closer to hers. She covered her small smile with her right hand and looked to Gil.  
  
They exchanged glances and Gil took a deep breath. He hated talking about his personal life and this was just about as personal as it got. "Catherine is leaving the night shift, effective now." Looks were exchanged between the four seated at the table. "And meet the new day shift supervisor. Catherine Willows.my wife." Effectively shocked into silence, the three younger CSI's and Greg gaped at them.  
  
"Grissom," Catherine murmured to Gil.  
  
"What? Did you want to tell them?"  
  
"No, I mean its Grissom, not Willows. You said Catherine Willows," Catherine explained patiently.  
  
"You're right, I did." He moved closer to her. "I'm going to have to get used to that."  
  
"So am I. We have hidden it for too long." Catherine took a step to him, oblivious of the others in the room. She met him halfway, tilting her face to his. Their lips and before they could deepen the kiss they were interrupted.  
  
"Ok," Warrick began. "I'll bite. How long?"  
  
  
  
tbc 


End file.
